This is really hard for me to write but I really don't know what else to do. So I have been struggling with my betta for about a month and a half. No matter what I do it continues to get worse. I am not exaggerating when I say I have tried almost everything. I have got stuck in this never ending problem with his fins and the ammonia in the water. I made a mistake and now no matter what I do I hit a dead end. What happened is I had no clue about any cycle when I got him and it was only until I found out on the forum. So I tried to get the cycle started and little did I know that the water I was putting in had a HUGE amount of ammonia. I was using prime so I don't know why it was still hurting him. So I went to go tests my charcoal filtered water and found out my filter was really old and it had huge amounts of nitrates and nitrates and a bit of ammonia. Also, the pH was really high. This was just recently. be fore I thought he was snagging himself on a plant so i took everything out but his fins are almost gone. I can't buy water from pet stores because I am still trying to get the cycle started so that would be about $100 a month with the water changes. so as you can see I am stuck pretty tight. So do you think I should just humanely euthanize him since he is so weak and sick right now its hard for him to swim. Or should I keep trying (I don't know how to fix this anyways so if you have any ideas that would be helpful). And if I should just put him out of his misery how should I do it? Sorry for making this post so long.

Euthanize him when you think you should. There is no one else who would know the point better. I would do it if there is no hope for him left. Personally I would go and ask a friend or someone else with a fish tank to give you some of their water. Most anyone with a fish tank would usually for free. I know that I have done it for someone who asked me. I personally would keep fighting but I'm the type of person to put a hundred dollars into a five dollar fish. If you got him good water it would help stop his fins from deteriorating and if they dont medicine would be the next step. But it is your call. Hope that helps. Its always difficult to loose a pet.

Thanks for the help. I don't know anyone that has a fish that lives next to me. The problem is I don't have good water(the tap has a lot of ammonia and the filtered has huge amounts of nitrates and nirates) and I can't spend $90 a month just for water trying to get the cycle started. So I am just not sure what else I could do. I have tried multiple medicines and none of them have helped. This sounds really negative, sorry.

Hey. =] I see you're new. =] Welcome to the forums and I'm sorry about your fish. :[

I have a few solutions that might work but I don't know much about your water source.

Is it well water?

Is it community/city water?

Is ALL of the water in your house and outside your house filtered that way or is it just the inside faucets?

If it's only the inside faucets try using water from an outside spicket (sp?).

If NONE of that works do you live near a grocery store or are you WAAAAAAY out in the country/back woods/fields?

If you live near a grocery store (Like a Super Walmart) chances are they sell gallon jugs of water for around $1.00. (they do this for emergency purposes mostly. But it's available all the time. In Super Wal-mart it's normally near the bath tissue, the sodas, and the chips.) I suggest trying that.

How big is your tank anyway? Is it huge? Like 10 gallons or up?

If so you could find one of those really big pickle jars that they use to pickle eggs in and keep him in one of those after washing it out with cool, warm, hot, then scalding water with vinegar (in that order. Don't go straight for scalding or the jar will shatter in your hands. trust me.)

Or you could find a really big vase to keep him in.

All you'd need is a small submersible heater like the tetra "adjustable" heater or a marineland Stealth, or a Hydor Theo. You'll want about 25 watts.

I'm sorry I have a short amount of time online today and thought I'd takle a bunch of possible causes and solutions at once since I don't have the time to look at any other threads you might have already made.

If you truly can't do anything at all for him then you'll know when you want to euthanize him.

Just don't give up yet till you try all of the options.

When your fish is this sick I really don't advise doing the fish in cycle any longer. :[

I'd try to take him out, put him into a temporary container and do a fishless cycle.

How high are you testing exactly in the ammonia nitrites and nitrates?

Could some fast growing stem plants like Ancharis, Water Sprite, Wisteria, Hornwort, or any kid of floating plant like Duckweed, Water Lettuce, Water Spangles, or Red Root Floater help with the ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate levels? all of those plants can just be tossed in either to float or tied to a rock to remain anchored.

If you absolutely can't use any of the water at your house including outside spickets then the grocery store water would be your best bet for now. it's usually filtered but you might be able to ask them which brand is filtered the least, and normally store water isn't filtered with charcoal.

When I was having hard water troubles (I still do but they've all adjusted) and I was freaking out about it I used half store-bought water and half regular tap.

The store-bought water only cost me $0.89 per gallon jug and I'm still using the jugs the water came in for measuring and filling purposes.

Good luck with your boy and I hope you find a solution and get him feeling better! <3

If not; like I and Creat have said: you'll know when it's time. <=[

Have you researched euthanasia and found a method that you're most comfortable with yet?

I really do not know where the water comes from I live in a suburban area if that helps.

I think its just the inside but I have tap water inside too and that the one with about 1ppm of ammonia or more.

I don't live that close to a walmart. But I guess what would you define as close? If I put my Betta in a vase or a jar, won't I still have to do daily water changes to keep the ammonia down? Like I said I can't afford to do that.

My tank is only 5 gallons.

I am not sure how high the nitrates and nirates are but if you want I could test them tonight.

I am really feeling like it time to just let him go, but I feel like I am giving up on him if I do. He is so sick and it just feels like I need to let go of him. What would you recommend for euthanasia.

It sounds like what he needs is really clean water. Do a 100% water change, but keep your filter, it has benificial bacteria that'll keep your tank cycled. Make sure to dechlorinate it with your prime. Is he in a heated tank?

Don't worry about the water's ph. Chances are he's adapted to the ph, and so to move him to a different water source could amost be bad.

Believe it or not, he might not be that far gone. If his tail is disappearing, it is most definately just finrot due to bad water quality. If you do the proper ammounts of water changes to keep his water clean, he will heal. Believe it or not, bettas are tough little fish, and if you give him the right conditions, he'll get better.

Keep his tank heated from 76-80* F, keep his water clean and properly dechlorinated, if he needs to heal you might want to consider buying some aquarium salt and dissolving about a tsp of it into each gallon of water.

If you want to euthanize him, go to tropicalfishkeeping.com ,it's this site's mother forum, so you can log on as yourself. It has a sticky about how to properly put down a fish.

Also, I've heard that Prime water conditioner changes the ammonia to a type that's not harmful, but DOES still show up on the tests. So, you might get high readings, but your fish might well be safe, at least as far as the ammonia goes.